NBC used Audio-Technica microphones, headphones and related products to capture audio for stereo and 5.1 surround sound broadcast of the 2008 Summer Olympics.

The kit included the AT4050 multipattern condenser microphone, which provided the discrete 5.1 audio bed from the venues for surround sound broadcast. It also has the BP4027 stereo shotgun microphone, which was used in XY mode as the primary camera mic. Other models included the AT825 OnePoint X/Y stereo field recording microphone and the AT892 MicroSet omnidirectional condenser head-worn microphone.

"This is the first Games that are to be produced totally in high-definition and 5.1. Most households in the U.S. will still be watching on standard-definition TV receivers with stereo sound," Bob Dixon, director of sound design for NBC Olympics, said before the Games. "Everything we do will have to be ready to provide audio for both settings, and Audio-Technica microphones provide us with versatile solutions."

Dixon said that NBC mic'd each channel separately for 5.1 with the AT4050 to help achieve a clear, detailed sound.

The BP4027s, he said, work well in stereo settings. "Those mics really give a natural, active feel for the sound in the space the camera is capturing. They allow us to present a sense of spread and depth to all our viewers," Dixon said.

In total, A-T shipped some 2,250 microphones and some 3,000 accessories to Beijing for use during the Games.